Refrigerator car construction



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Patented Feb. 23, 1943 Walter P. Murphy,

Ware

Chicago,A Ill., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment, Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill.,- a corporation of Dela Application July 29, 1940, Serial No. 348,156

4 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cars used toy transport perishable commodities at a predetermined temperature. The essential features of a refrigerator car are an insulated body'to prevent or retard ingress of heat during Warm` weather and egress of heat during cold weather and a cooling means and a heating means to be used during warm and cold Weather respectively.

The conventional end bunker car has the cool- 'ing means, preferably containers for a solid refrigerant, 'such as ice, or a liquid refrigerant, such as brine, disposedv adjacent the end walls of the car. The lading is supported by foraminous racks arranged in 4spaced relation to the floor so that cold air may circula-te from t-he cooling means under the lading. The cold air then seeps upwardly through the lading with a consequent cooling or refrigeration of said lading. The distance between the cooling means of a standard end vbunker car is about -33 feet; the cold air must therefore travel more than 16 feet in order to reach the center part of Vthe car. In many cases, the air `all seeps through thel lading in the end parts of the car and does not reach the center or, if it does reach they center, it has lost a considerable part of 'itsrefrigerating ability. Consequently, the center parts'of standard and bunker refrigerator cars are commonly poorly refrigerated.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a refrigerator car wherein the-cold air circulates in a relatively short path for the purpose of overcoming the above-mentioned defects. I accomplish this by placing the cooling means adjacent the side walls of the car so that the maximum length of circulation-is `equal to the width of the car. It isa further object to balance the car by placing one cooling means between the doorway and an end Wall and adjacent a side wall and the other coolingV means between the doorway and the other end wall and adjacent the other side wall.

Another object of the invention is to maintain at a minimum theY number of hatchesused for loading the refrigerant. An excessive number of hatches, besides increasing the labor and eX- pense of icing the car, constitute a serious source of heat leakage into the car on account of the inherent imperfections in thev insulation of a movable door means.

Another object is to provide, as a cooling means, a bunker having an inclined grate to facilitate the distribution of 'refrigerant throughout the bunker. I design the grate so that the "tion comprises hollow posts H shea-thing I2 being secured Ithereto yandhaving 'corrugations- I4 forme'dntherein and' arranged to extend substantially between the hollow posts l I.

end walls l'l. side walls! andV end walls Il, 'the roof comprising 'outer sheets 2B, ceiling 2lran'dv insulation 23`.

highest part thereof is substantially below a hatch;Y thev grate .preferably extends downwardly therefrom `toremote partsl of the bunker.

Another -object is to arrange the refrigerant bunker and grate so. that they may be conveniently `and easily assembled' andso that the 'assembled bunker isa rigid structure.

Another obj ect is. toA providemeans for cooling the Vpart of thelading adjacent the doorways of the caras will'behereinafter pointed out,

Other objects and? advantages of my invention will be apparent fromthe following detailed7 description by referring toi fthe accompanying drawings.

InY the drawings:

Fig. 1 isa plan section of a refrigerator car Iwhich. embodies my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ofthe car as indicated by line 2-2fof Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-.?.l of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 3 showing the means-of attaching the grate members.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig, 4 showing a modified construction.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6"-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a perspective--view` of the grate support embodied inthe car shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

Figs. 8 and 9 show modified forms. of grate.

Fig. 10 is similar to a portion of Fig. 3 showing a modified form 0f drain pan.

Fig. 11 is a section, to anenlarged scale, on line Il of Fig. 1.

Figs. 12 and 11i-show modified formsv of grate and positions of hatches.y

The side walls I of the car shown are-0f the usualy construction embodying side sills 2,. side plates 3, side posts 5 extending between `the sill 2 and plate 3, sheathing-8-`forming the outer lboundary of the wall, lining 'forming the inner boundary and insulation 9 `disposedbetweenthe sheathing 6 and lining 8. The corner construcwith the end End lining I5 forms the inner boundary of the Theroof lB is supported. by. the

A doorway 241s. provided in each lside wall l, preferably midway between the'endA walls Il.

1nv the modification of my invention' shown in the drawings, a refrigerant. bunker.f3`yextends between the doorway 3| and end wall 33 adjacent the side wall 34. Another bunker 36 extends between the doorway `31 and end wall 39 adjacent the side wall 40. The bunker 30 is included between a plurality of posts 42 adjacent the side wall 34 and a plurality of posts 43 spaced from the side wall` 34. The posts 42 are rigidly bolted to the frame. members 45. The posts 43 are secured to tie rods 48, 49; the tie rod's 48 having their other ends attached to the side wall frame members and the rods 49 having their other ends attached to the posts 42. of the posts 43 are preferably inserted in pockets formed in the ceiling 2| and the lower ends of the posts 43 are maintained in spaced relation to the posts 42 by the grate supports as will be hereinafter described.

The corners of the bunker 30 are defined by The walls of the vertically disposed angles 55. bunker 30 are formed by foraminous material, such as the wire netting 56 shown, extending between the angles 55 and supported therebetween by the posts 42 and 43. An. imperforate sheathingl 58, preferably wood, is secured to the opposite sides of the posts 43 to form a bulkhead. Sheathing 59 also extends between the post 60 and the doorpost 62. The sheathings 58, 59, or bulkheads, are spaced from the ceiling 2| to form openings 63 and from the floor 65 t0 form openings 66. Air adjacent thebunker 30, being cooled and therefore densied by contact. with the refrigerant, ows by reason of its greater density through the openings 66 into the space 68 between the floor rack 69 and floor 65. The air then flows upwardly through the lading compartment 1|, thereby cooling the lading, and nally back to the bunker through the openings 63. Y

As shown in Fig. 3, a drainr pan 15 is placed below the bunker 30 at a lower level than the upper surface of the floor` 65 to catch liquid formed by the melting of refrigerant. The pan '15 is extended adjacent the doorway (see. Fig. 1l) so that cold air from the bunker may ilow through the space 14 under the floor rack stringers 16 (also through the apertures 18) and seep upwardly through the lading disposed adjacent the doorway. Such air may also flow crosswise of the car and cool the lading extending between the doorways-3| and 31.

The grate 80 forr supporting a refrigerant is preferably comprised of angle members 8| arranged with their included angles facing downwardly so that their upper sides form runners upon which` ice may slide lengthwise of the bunker. The angle members 8| are preferably spaced apart to provide for drainage of melted refrigerant. In the modification shown in Figs. l-3,Y the angle members 8| have their highest parts 83 disposed substantially midway between the ends of the bunker 30, the members 8| being inclined downwardly fromr the highest parts 83 toward said ends. A hatch 84 is provided in the roof I8 substantially above the highest parts 83 of the grate members 6| so that a refrigerant loaded through. the hatch will slide to the ends of the bunker and eventually fill the entire bunker. The` refrigerant may be either block or crushed ice and theA inclination of the angle members 8| isgpreferably such that the ice slides of its own accord to the remote ends of the bunker. The horizontal angle members 86 are secured to the vertical angles 55 to resist the thrust-'of the refrigerant against the ends. of `the bunker. Aj

The upper ends thereabove and their heads preferably welded The grate is preferably supported by the unitary grate supports shown in perspective in Fig. 7. The base portion 9| comprises a continuous angle 93 with oppositely facing clips 94 secured thereto for stability. The upright portions are spaced apart angles 96 rigidly secured tothe base portion 9| and the upper portion is an inverted channel member 91 rigidly secured to the upright angles 96. Bolts 99 are inserted through the web |00 of the channel member 91 with their Shanks |02 extending to the under side of the web |00. The angle members 8| of the grate are disposed between the bolts 99,` keepers |03 are inserted on the bolts 99 and nuts |05 are tightened against the keepers to securely clamp the angle members 8| in "'i position. The supports 90 rest upon Wooden blocks4 |06 placed in the pan 15 and slots |08 in the upright angles 98 accommodate the tie rods 49. The tie rods 49, when tight, grip the supports 90 between the posts 42, 43, which gripping, in combination with the angle members 8|-, maintains'the grate supports in their upright positions.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a modified means for attaching the angle members 8| di the grate to the channel members 91 of the grate supports 90. Triangular web plates ||5 are secured, preferably by welding, tothe. angle members 8|. J-shape bolts ||6 are inserted through apertures in the web plates ||5 and secured, by nuts ||8, to the channel-y members 91. Such an arrangement presents a smooth upper surface on the grate for the easy sliding of refrigerant.

Fig. 10 shows a section similar to a portion of Fig. 3 wherein the drain pan |22 is disposed at substantially the level of the floor 65 instead of being depressed like the pan 15 of Fig. 3. A relatively narrow gutter |23 is provided to drain off the meltedrefrigerant.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 2 showing a modified form of grate. The hatch is positionedY as in Fig. 2, i. e., substantially midway between an end wall and doorway.v The gratev |25 shown inl Fig. 8 embodies a high part |26 substantially below the hatch, the grate having parts |28 sloping downwardly toward the ends thereof. The end parts |29 of the grate I 25 are preferably substantially horizontal.

Fig. 9 shows relatively the same part of car as shown in Fig. 8.4 The part |35 of the grate |36 which, is disposed below thehatch is inclined less than the end parts |38 of the grate.

In the modiiication shown in Fig. l2, two hatches |42, |43 are provided in the part of the roof I8 between an end wall and doorway. The grate |45 has high parts |46, |48 disposed below the hatches |42, |43 respectively. The grate |45 is inclined downwardly away from each high part |46, |48 so as toy form a low part |49 at each end of the bunker and a low part |5| substantially midway between the ends of the bunker.

In the modificationshown` in' Fig; 13, a hatch |55 is provided adjacent the end wall |56 and the high part |58 of the grate |59 isadjacent the end wall |56. The grate |59'isl inclined downwardly continuously fromV the end wall |56 to the opposite end of thelbunker so that ice loaded through the hatch |55'V may slide to any part' of the bunker.

The accompanying drawings'illustrate thepre-Y ferred form of the invention, though it is tobe understoodthat the-invention is not limitedv to the exactdetails of constructionshown and de,.-

scribed, as it is obvious that various modications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car having a roof, a relatively long refrigerant bunker below said roof, a hatch in said roof above said bunker, and a grate arranged to support a refrigerant in said bunker, said grate having its highest part disposed substantially below said hatch and being inclined downwardly from said highest part.

2. In a refrigerator car having a roof, a relatively long refrigerant bunker below said roof, a hatch in said roof above said bunker in spaced relation to the ends thereof, and a grate arranged to support a refrigerant in said bunker, said grate having its highest part disposed substantially below said hatch and being inclined downwardly from said highest part toward each end of the bunker.

3. In a refrigerator car having a roof, a relatively long refrigerant bunker below said roof, a hatch in said roof above said bunker adjacent one end thereof, and a grate arranged to support a refrigerant in said bunker, said grate having its highest part disposed substantially below said hatch and being inclined downwardly from said highest part toward the end of said bunker remote from said hatch.

4. In a refrigerator car having a roof, a relatively long refrigerant bunker below said roof, a hatch in said roof above Said bunker, and a grate arranged to support a refrigerant in said bunker, said grate having its highest part disposed substantially below said hatch and being inclined downwardly from said highest part, said grate comprising runners extending lengthwise of said bunker for sliding a refrigerant to remote ends of the bunker.

WALTER P. MURPHY. 

